Control of washing or dyeing machines



Nov. 25, 1941. s. H. RIBBANS 2,264,219

CONTROL OF WASHING OR DYEING MACHINES Filed Oct. 21, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l I; II

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A; YEA/TO)? m: ormewer Nov. 25, 1941. v s. H. RIBBANS CONTROL OF WASHING OR DYEING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed ot. 21, 1937 1 Patented Nov. 25, 1941 CONTROL OF WASHING OR DYEING MACHINES Stanley Herbert Ribbans, London, England, assignor to Laundry Automatic Appliances Limited, London, England, a corporation of Great Britain Application October 21, 1937, Serial No. 170,298 In Great Britain May 21, 1937 3 Claims.

This invention relates to controlling means for washing or dyeing machines and is particularly associated with automatically controlled washing or dyeing machines having mechanism for carrying out the usual manual movements necessary during the operation of a machine.

During the operation of a washing or dyeing machine the container or drum in which the ar ticles to be washed or dyed are enclosed has frequently to be partially filled with water or other liquid up to a certain predetermined level which may differ for different periods of a formula to which the machine is being operated or for different formulae and it is customary when a washing or dyeing machine is automatically controlled, to arrange for a tap or cock, in the pipe through which the water or other liquid is supplied, to remain open for a predetermined period of time which has been found by test to give the required depth of liquid in the drum.

This method of control, however, presupposes that the rate of flow of liquid remains constant and the same as that during which the tests were carried out to predetermine the period of opening of the supply valve, and it will be obvious that in practice it is very difficult to obtain a satisfactory result by this means.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved arrangement by means of which the level of liquid admitted to the drum or casing of a washing or dyeing machine, always has the predetermined value assigned to it during any stage of a particular formula to which the machine is working despite fluctuations in the supply of liquid.

With the above object in view the invention consists in the arrangement of parts described in the following description and specified more particularly in the appended claims, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 shows the end of a washing machine with the float arrangement for operating the depth selectors.

Fig. 2 shows one form of depth selector with mercury switches.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the end of the washing machine I has secured to it, by a bracket 2, a float chamber 3 which communicates through a pipe 4 with the interior of the machine. The bottom of the float chamber 2 is provided with removable plugs 5 and 6 for cleaning purposes. Within the float chamber moves a float l which may be of any suitable material and is prefermoulded material and to the float 1 is attached a rod or tube Bwhich carries a pointer 9 moving against a fixed scale l0 graduated to show the depth of water in the casing of the machine.

The rod or tube 8 is bent over as shown andits other limb 8 (shown broken off in Fig. 1) forms part of the operative member of the depth switches shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Referring to Fig. 2, the part 8 is arranged to slide over a fixed guide rod H projecting from a plate [2 bolted to a pillar l3 depending from the cover of an oil tank in which the whole mechanism is housed. The part of the member 8' which comes inside the tank has attached to it a number of projecting plates or discs II which, in conjunc-.

tion with the oil in the tank, acts as dampers to reduce oscillations of the float 1 and the rod 8, 8 which might be set up by surges in the machine I and float chamber 3 due to the reversing rotation of the inner cage of the washing machine. Also attached to the part 8 is a projection l5 which, as it rises with the rising float 1, operates the mercury switches in succession. The projection I5 is pivoted on a block It so that as it falls when the rod 8' and the float I fall it is capable of moving into the position shown by broken lines and can thus slide past each switch. The mercury switches are well known and form no part of the present invention; they consist of a glass tube l1 containing a globule l8 of mercury which normally lies at one end of the tube I! but, when the tube is tilted runs to the other end to make contact between two wires l9 sealed into the tube H. In the present arrangement each tube I1 is carried in a cradle 20 having a projecting arm 2| and pivoted on a bracket 22 secured to an insulating base 23 clamped on the pillar l3 by clamps 24 and having terminals 25 for the leads l9 and a stop 26 on which the tube rests in the operative position. As the projection l5 rises it engages each of the arms 2| in turn and tilts the switches in succession. The switches can be set to operate when the float 1 (and hence member I5) reaches predetermined levels by adjustment of the positions of the switches on pillar I3 by slacking off the clamps 24, and retightening them after positioning the switch. One lead from each switch is connected to a common lead in any suitable manner (not shown) while the other lead from each switch is connected to a stud on a rotary selector or like device, not shown.

In the depth selector the switches or contacts are positioned so that closure of successive conably a hollow metal shell or a hollow body of tacts corresponds with successive increments in the depth of the liquid in the machine, for example, the lowest contact or switch may be positioned so that it closes when the water in the machine reaches an effective depth of one inch, the next contact is arranged to close when the liquid depth is two inches, and so on, although it is quite satisfactory if the distance between successive contacts or switches corresponds to depth increases in two inch steps instead of for each inch.

In order to prevent all the contacts or switch closures from being operative every time the float rises, and to ensure that only the particular contact which corresponds with the depth of liquid required at any particular stage of a formula is effective to close the liquid supply valve the separate leads from the contacts or switches are connected to contact studs on a rotary selector which is driven by the control drum (not shown).

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A float controlled switch for a fluid container, comprising a float, a rod rigidly connected to said float and adapted to move therewith as the level of liquid in said container varies. a switch chamber, a portion of said rod being positioned in said switch chamber for movement therein, a circuit closing member carried by said rod portion, a stationary support in said switch chamber along the path of movement of said rod portion, spaced means on said support adapted .to cooperate with said member and successively close a plurality of. circuits as the level of liquid in said container varies, and means for changing the positions of each of said spaced means on said support so that each circuit can be closed at any selected fluid level, said spaced means comprising a plurality of switches adapted to be successively actuated by said member.

2. A float controlled switch for a fluid container, comprising a float, a rod rigidly connected to said float and adapted to move therewith as the level of liquid in said container varies, a switch chamber, a portion of said rod being positioned in said switch chamber for movement therein, a circuit closing member carried by said rod portion, a stationary support in said switch chamber along the path of movement of said rod portion, spaced means on said support adapted to cooperate with said member and successively close a plurality of circuits as the level of liquid in said container varies, means for changing the positions of each of said spaced means on said support so that each circuit can be closed at, any selected fluid level, said spaced means comprising a plurality of switches adapted to be successively actuated by said member, said switches comprising tiltable mercury switches, said member comprising a switchtilting arm, said arm being adapted to engage said switches successively and tilt them as said am moves past said switches in one direction, and means pivotally mounting said arm for swinging movement to permit said arm to ride over said switches without tilting them as it moves past said switches in the opposite direction. 7

3. The structure of claim l, and said member including means whereby it actuates said switches as it moves past them in one direction and rides over said switches without actuating them as it moves past said switches in the opposite direction.

STANLEY HERBERT RIBBANS. 

